Manage your subscription

Himalayas created by high-speed impact

IT BRINGS a new meaning to the land speed record. After the break-up of the Gondwanan supercontinent 140 million years ago, India sped north at 20 centimetres per year – about five times as fast as any other landmass in the recent geological past. The speed of its collision with Asia propelled the Himalayas to the top of the world.

Now the secret to India’s speed has been found. The mantle plume that broke up Gondwanaland had its most powerful effect on the Indian plate, melting away its deepest levels, which would normally have slowed its pace. The other elements of Gondwanaland – Africa, Australia and Antarctica …